Commons Harassment Policy No Flaw, Says Review After Saini’s Allegations – Red Deer Advocate

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OTAWA – A new examination of how the House of Commons is investigating allegations of harassment against MPs has revealed that there are no shortcomings, according to a summary presented Thursday.

The review by the Commons Human Resources Director was ordered after MPs questioned the handling of an allegation against former MP Raj Saini, who resigned as Liberal candidate in the election.

Saini has been accused of harassing a woman on his team. The former Kitchener Center MP has vehemently denied the allegations, which were originally reported by CBC and have not been independently verified by The Canadian Press.

CBC reported that the female staff member was not interviewed during the House of Commons investigation into her allegation and was offered mediation with Saini.

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner asked the House of Commons to consider whether her workplace harassment policy was strong enough to end a “culture of sexual misconduct” in Parliament.

The Chief Human Resources Officer, Michelle Laframboise, was asked to assess whether there were any gaps in the policy and to propose appropriate changes, if necessary.

Laframboise told the multi-party internal economy council, which oversees the Commons administration, on Thursday that the review found no gaps in the policy in place at the time of the allegations or in the ongoing proceedings.

She also told the board that there was no gap in “handling concerns in general”.

Government House Leader Mark Holland, who sits on the board, said the report showed how “robust” the system was for investigating allegations of harassment against MPs and Commons employees.

Holland said it was important for people to feel confident about reporting incidents, saying “people should feel free to come forward.”

He also accused MPs who criticized the House of Commons system of undermining people’s confidence in him.

“When we question the robustness of processes, we push people away,” he said. “We are responsible as members not to attack the mortar on this building.”

Rempel Garner said she was “disappointed with this ‘review'” but will not stop her fight “to make Parliament Hill a safer place for everyone.”

“I am not surprised that when the administration reconsidered it found no problem with its conduct or policies,” she said in a statement. “This is exactly why I called for an independent investigation into the process last month.”

Laframboise told the board that Commons’ harassment policies are accessible to employees. She said that mediation, which is to be offered, is a “useful tool” and is carried out by a neutral third party.

She warned that retaliation against someone who filed a complaint is “absolutely not” allowed under the policy.

“Employees cannot be coerced into accessing the harassment complaint process,” she added.

Holland told the board that the allegations of sexual harassment “are salacious and quickly grab the headlines” and that MPs should be careful before “judging in a public forum, whether in the House of Commons or elsewhere. “.

“Careers take a lifetime to build and they can just disappear like that,” he snapped his fingers.

Saini resigned during the election after an avalanche of questions about his conduct from opposition MPs.

Bloc Québécois whip Claude DeBellefeuille said she had “great confidence” in the impartiality of the review, which she said was rigorous and had been drafted after consultation with all parties.

The former social worker said there should be “zero tolerance” for violence of any kind in the House of Commons.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 2, 2021.

harassment at work

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